Vacuum seal for vacuum cloth hydroextractors



March 9 1926.

G. w. VOELKER VACUUM SEAL FO VACUUM CLOTH HYDROEXTRACTORS Filed Dec. 5',1924 2 lS'leets-Sheec l A @mmf ,eaw W.; .Nrw am muy /m r March 9 1926.

G. W. VOELKER VACUUM SEAL FOR VAGUUM CLOTH HYDROEXTRACTORS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1924 Patented Mer. 9, i926. i

UNITED S'EA'EES rarest 1,576,163 einer..

GEORGE W. VOELKER, 0F WOONSOCKER/RHODE ISLANDQ VACUUM SEAL FOR VACUUMCLOTH I-IYDROEXTRACTORS.

Application. filed December 65 Union St., lVoonsocket, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode island` have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Vacuum' Seals for Vacuum Cloth Hydroextractors,of which .the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the type 0f vacuum cloth hydroextractors inwhich the cloth held open to full width passes over a slotted pipe whichacts as a combination vacuum chamber and support. My invention isaspecific improvement on the construction shown in my former Patent#1A-71,671, issued October 2B, 1923. y

In this type of machine the cloth passes i over a longitudinal slotwhich extends substantially the length of the top surface of the pipe.The cloth normally does not pass over the entire slot and the mainobject of my invention is to effect-ually and automatically seal the endof the slot over which the cloth does not pass. i A further object of myinvention is at all times automatically to seal the vacuum at the endsof the slot in the slotted member exterior of the cloth withoutpreventiim` lateral motion of the cloth. Y

necii'ically. my invention comprises series of metallic discs mounted onwireswhich extends lonaiituidinallyv of two bottomless casings, saidcasings being mounted on the frame over each end of the slot in theslotted member. The rubber strips in my prior invention depended fortheir functioning on the atmospheric pressure alone. As in my newinvention I` employ hollow metallic discs, in addition te theatmospheric'pressure, the weight of the discs assists in theirfunctioning.` A further object of my invention, therefore,r is tospecifically provide, combined gravity and atmospheric pressure actuatedmeans for anton'iatically sealing;- the vacuum at the ends of the slotof the slotted member.

Though the construction shown .in my prior patent functions in asatisfactory manner, it has several objections. The flexible rubber padcovered so much of the surface of the clothadjacent to the selvages,that the liquid was not sufficiently extracted adjacent to the selvages.As, due to the inherent construction of the disc members, they onlycontact the cloth at substantially s, 1924.Y serial No. 754,167'.

one point on their periphery directly above the slot, they providegreater hydroextra'ction efficiency. Y

A further object of my invention is to provide more durable means forthis purpose than provided in my priorr patent, the

netallic discs lasting much longer than the rubber pad.

These and such other objects of mv inven-` tion as mavhereinafterappear/will be best understood from a description of one embodimentthereofsuch asis shownV in the ac.;`

companyinn; dra-wings. Y

In the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a vacuum cloth hydroextractorpartially shown in section showing the slotted pipe with my improvedvacuum seal.

Fig'. 2 is a fragmentary end view of the' machine showing the clothpassing' through.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view partially shown in elevation ofa vacuum seal in functioning' position over the slotted pipe.

Fig. 4 isa sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figp.

Fig. V5 is a detail perspective view of a vacuum seal and a portion ofthe slotted pipe with the cloth passing thereover.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference lindicate likeparts throughout, 10 indicates the frame of a vacuum clothhydroextractor, on which are mounted the feed rollers 12 for drawing thecloth 14 spread out endwise over the slotted pipe 16.

The slotted pipe 16 is hollow and is the suction applying: member of thehydroextractor. It is mounted between the ends ofthe fra-me 10 of thehydroextractor and may be attached at one .end thereof to the suctionpump 18 by means of the pipe 20. The hollow pipe 16 has on its Vuppersurface over which the cloth is drawn. the slot S22 which extendssubstantially its entire length. The end of the hollow pipe 16 oppositefrom the end attached to the suction pump 18 is provided with a suitablecap 24.

As stated, the cloth'is drawn by means of the feed rollers 12 spread outin open formv is mounted centrally `longitudinally thereof in the holes34 made 'therefor in each end 28' oiithel casin0'f26. @n sard wiremount.

. u c Y l n aseries oi annular disc members a5, each being,` providedwith a hollowed out central portion 38 sov as toA have' individualrelative up andy down Vmovement on said Wire Tor adgustably confinesaith disc members inl tree contiguous relationship on said wire,

I provide on the inneil end28 ot said cas-ing.

an' adtjusting bloclr 40;; also slidable on` said Wire 32, and1longitudinally adiustablet by Contact with the endA or' a thumb screw'=42 mounted iny a suitable-hole therefor in the inner end 28 of saideasing- The outermost disc 363i Willi bea f' against the outer end 28;ot said casing, andt as explained the discs ameadjustablyretainedincontiguous tree relationship between said out r end: 28 andthe block 40 which' as enplai ed is longitudinally adjustable by meansoithe thumb screw 42. f A suitable bol-t 44;, having a. threaded end 46adapted" to be threaded in ai suitable hole therefor in the outer end ofthe casingv 26, has its opposite endi 5 0 mounted in a hole 52thereorin* the side or the frame, and is secured tosaid trame` by thenut 54. Each side lOl of the casing 26 may be provided with the raised@ribs 56, on whichi the casing coverk 58 isadapted to rest. The' casing;cover 58 serves Vto prevent the liquid tromf being sprayed over themachine and cloth; by the revolution of the annular Y discs: Forpurposes of assembly the ca*- ing 26' may be made in two/portions,eaehin.- cludingl ai side 30A and an end 2.8, secured) together' by thebolts G9. `flhough, l have shown the Wire 32 as ai preferred means of'mounting the annular` metallic; discsl 36 over ther endsA of the holesin slotted member' 16, it is obvious that any suitablemeansrmay beprovided tor this purpose, as Well as any other suitable means otherthanv those shown for longitudinally adjustably mountingthe d-iscsWith-in the casing, and for mount-ing said casing 26 on thel frame 10;.Though I have shou'n the relatively movable metallic: members 36- ascomprising discs it isl obvious that other suitable members circular orotherwise havingrelativeA up and down movement may be` employed.i

'llhe operation' of my invent-ion `is obvious from the' abovedescription` The ,materia-l 14 spread' out endwise 1s.` drawn over theslot 22am the *hollow member 16- as explained. The vacuum seals are solocated relative to tlieends oii the slot, that some: oi the annulardiscs: 36' will cover the selvage; ends of thecloth` and: alsocompletely sealthe ends 01": the slot 22 inthe hollow member 16 exteriorof said cloth 14.l Both atmospheric pressure induced by the partialvacuum maintained in the slotted' pipe 1G and the Weight ot the discs36- themselves press the annular discs 36 .firmly against the cloth 14and slotted' pipe 1:61. The cloth 14 in passing underneath the discs 36lifts up certain of them a slight amount, said an'iount alavays beingless tliana the length of the radius ot the solidV annular portionsthereof and due to theatmospheric pressure induced and' the Weightofsaid metallic discs, they prevent air from rushing in underneath thelower surfaceof the cloth. As thecloth necessarily is movedx sideWiseby' the action otv the feed rollers 12, it is obvious that theindividual discs 86 may befreely raisedupby the cloth selvage'Y when'the clothl sl-ides toward them and may drop' down ontheslot 22 asf. theclot-hslides away from them, thusk continually automaticallymaintainingr the vvacuum in thehollow pipe- 16; Fig. 4.- illustrateshoW, due to the annular shapevofthevinetallic discs 86, they abut theslot 22j5ust suiiicie'ntly to seal said slot, and abut' the clotht- 14only on a very small surface ot their. periphery to permit maximunramount oli' hydroextractionf from the cloth. Ass the annular metallicdiscs arel provided withy the hollow central portions- 38, itis obviousthat 'they are permitted' suliicient up and. down relative movement onthe wire. to permit them to move upa-nd down*1 as the cloth 14 s-Wayssideways. Y v The discs 36 may be longitudinal-ly y adjusted., so as tohave free up and down. movement by means of rthe ad-'justing` block 4,0and thumb screwI 42. Then the adjusting bloclr- 40( is drawnto the innerend oi` the casing 2G, it is obvious that the annular discsBS-'ma-yloe-suitably eleanedt.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specificembodiment shown and: that` various deviations may be made therefromWithout departing'lromthe spiit and scope of the appended' claims.

Vilhat I claim asneW and desire to secure by Letters Patent' is: f

- l. In a machine for extracting liquid.. from cloth or other-material,in combinatiom. a suction pump, ahollow member connected toy saidisuction: pump' having, a. longitudinal slot on vthe uppersurfacothereot, means for drawing the cloth spread out endwiseover theslot i-n said member and combined gravity and. atmospheric pressureactuated means tor automaticallysealing the vacuunrbetween the ends otthe slot inthe slottedmeme ber and'. theselvageslof the cloth',comprising a series et metallic annular ldiscs mounted contiguously toeach other tot have indi*- vidual up and down' relative movement on endof the slot in the slotted member so as to have the peripheries of someof said disks rest on the cloth for a distance near the end over theselvage edge thereof only and the peripheries of other adjacent disksrest for a distance beyond over the entire adjacent ends of the slottedmember unsealed by the cloth.

2. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth or other material, incombination', a suction pump, a hollow member connected to said suctionpump having a longitudinal slot on the upper surface thereof, means fordrawing the cloth spread out endwise over the slot in said member andcombined gravity and atmospheric pressure 'actuated means forautomatically sealing the vacuum between the ends ofthe slot in theslotted member and the selvages of the cloth without preventing lateralmotion of the cloth, comprising a series of metallic annular discsmounted contiguously to each other to have individual up and downrelative movement on frames attached to the machine over each end of theslot in the slotted member so as to have the peripheries of some of saiddisks rest on the cloth for a distance near the end over the selvageedge thereof only and the peripheries of other adjacent disks rest for adistance beyond over the entire adjacent ends of the slottedmemberunsealed by the cloth.

3. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth or other material, incombination, a suction pump, a hollow member connected to said suctionpump havingV a longitudinal slot on the upper surface thereof, means fordrawing the material acted upon in open form over the slot in saidmember and com# bined gravity and atmospheric pressure actuated meansfor automatically sealing the vacuum between the ends of the slot in theslotted member and the ends of the material acted upon, comprising aseries l of metallic annular discs mounted contiguously to each other tohave individual up and down relative movement on fra-mes attached to themachine over each end of the slot in the slotted member so as to havethe peripheries of some of said disks rest on the cloth for a distancenear the end ove-r the selvage edge thereof only and the peripheries ofother adjacent disks rest for a distance beyond over the entire adjacentends of the slotted member unsealed by the cloth.

4. In a machine for extracting liquid from cloth or other material, incombination, a suction pump, a hollow member connected to`said suctionpump having a longitudinal slot on the upper surface thereof, means fordrawing the material acted upon in open form over the slot in saidmember and com- )ined gravity and atmospheric ressure actuated means forautomatically searing the vacuum between the ends of the slot in theslotted member and the ends of the material acted upon withoutpreventing lateral motion thereof, comprising a series of metallicannular discs mounted contiguously to each other to have individual upand down relative movement on frames attached to the machine over eachend of the slot in the slotted member so as to have the peripheries ofsome of said disks rest on the cloth for a distance near the end overthe selvagge edge thereof only and the peripheries of other adjacentdisks rest for a distance beyond over the entire adjacent ends of theslotted member unsealed by the cloth. Y

5. A vacuum seal for hydroextractors, comprising a bottomless casing, awire mounted longitudinally of said casing, a series of annular metallicdiscs mounted on said wire contiguously to each other having enlargedhollow central portions to permit individual up and down relativemovement thereof on said wire and means to attach said casing to theframe of the machine.

6. A vacuum seal for hydroextractors, comprising a bottomless casing,and a' series of annular discs mounted therein contiguously to eachother having enlarged hollow centralportions to permit individual up anddown relative movement thereof.

7. A vacuum seal for hydroextractors comprising a hollow casing andaseries of annular metallic discs mounted in said casing contiguously toeach otherlto have individual up j and down relative movement therein.

8. A vacuum seal for hydroextractors comprising a bottomless casing anda series of metallic members mounted contiguously to each other thereinso as to have individual relative up and down movement.

9. A vacuum seal for hydroextractors comprising a bottomless casing, awire mounted longitudinally of said casing and a series of metallicmembers mounted on said wire contiguously to each other having enlargedcentral portions to permit individual up and down relative movement onsaid wire.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

GEORGE W. VOELKER.

